


Um...Who?

by limyth (unknownymous)



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: Slaine Week Prompt Idea, really late
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-02-04
Packaged: 2018-05-18 04:06:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5897593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknownymous/pseuds/limyth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What could possibly happen when you eat an apple or comb your hair, carry a candle in your other hand and stare at a mirror to look over your shoulder in the middle of the night?</p><p>Well, that was exactly what Slaine wanted answers to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Um...Who?

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Aldnoah.Zero or any of its characters.
> 
> Many thanks (as always) to my dear beta reader blue_spectrum for always being their in my time of need!

## Um...Who?

 

"I heard you have to eat an apple while holding a candle and look in the mirror. You'll see _that person_ over your shoulder then", Nina whispered.

 

"No, no. _I_ heard that you should comb your hair while eating an apple and look in the mirror. _Then_ you'll see _that person_ over your shoulder", Inko argued.

 

Asseylum's eyes twinkled and danced with the flame of the candle stick while she listened attentively to the argument, Rayet rolled her eyes wondering why she was even there, and Slaine? Slaine wondered why he was standing in an old rickety room with only a mirror in the middle of it and a stack of old wooden chairs blocking the stairs up the room. He wondered why he was creeping around Aldnoah Highs' long forgotten attic, surrounded by his whispering female classmates with nothing but the light of a single candle to illuminate their surrounds.

 

In the middle of the night in his pajamas.

 

And why was Nina holding an apple and Inko a comb? All Slaine remembered was a knock on his door while he was sleeping, pleading bright emerald eyes, and the fact that he could never say no when his 'princess' requested his help.

 

_Wait._

 

What _was_ he helping them for again? Slaine rubbed his eyes and squinted at the mirror barely paying attention to the whispered arguments at hand.

 

He jolted when the distinctive click of Rayet's tongue echoed the entirety of the room and nearly fell on his face when a hand dragged him to stand in front of the old faded mirror with intricate wooden carvings. Rayet slapped him on the back once, grabbed the apple from Nina's protesting hands, and deposited it deftly into Slaine's absolutely confused person and declared. "We can just try both. You go first, now…let's start with this." Rayet gestured for Slaine to go on. With what, Slaine had no idea. Absolutely _no idea_ , even as he felt all other occupants lay eyes on him expecting him to do... _something_.

 

"Um." Slaine shifted on his feet and nervously stared back. "What's this for?" He asked, and the silence that answered him only made him chew on the bottom of his lip.

 

"Oh wait, you're right." Nina chirped happily and handed the candle to Slaine. They all leaned closer and gestured – again, for Slaine to go on.

 

"I'm...really sorry", Slaine started, "But I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing with these", he raised the items on his hands. Asseylum who was always kind and patient even in her giddiness took pity on him and explained calmly.

 

"Take a bite of the apple and hold the light to the mirror. Don't forget to look through the mirror at your shoulder area and tell us _who_ you see." Asseylum explained.

 

Slaine slowly nodded his understanding wondering why he needed to see a ‘ _who’_ , but raised the candle to level with his ear and turned to the mirror. He felt them all hold their breaths as he took a small bite of the apple and slowly chewed.

 

"Bat"

 

The ladies screamed and Slaine choked on the bite that flushed down his throat the same time his stomach rocketed upwards. While he tried to dislodge the apple and felt a helping hand soothe at his back, Slaine bleakly wondered how 'Orange' got into the room and deposited himself so soundlessly behind him.

 

Once the fruit was dislodged and the hype of the scare settled, Slaine and the rest of his trespassing lady friends stared at the newcomer wordlessly and in awe.

 

"I heard Slaine's door open and a lot of hushed whispers", Inaho monotonously explained.

 

Strange, how that happened when Slaine was _sure_ Inaho's room was across the hall _six doors_ to his left. He was just about to comment on the matter when said classmate met his eyes and plainly asked.

 

"Did you see anyone?"

 

Slaine blinked. "What?"

 

"Did you _see_ anyone?" Inaho repeated, and Slaine realized Inaho was referring to the _'who'_ the girls were talking about earlier.

 

Why was it that out of everyone in the room, _he_ was the only one who didn't get it?

 

"...He probably didn't if he can't say a name", Rayet said in annoyance. The other girls all looked downcast, save for Inko who grabbed the candlestick and passed the comb over to Slaine.

 

"Maybe it was the wrong method. Try this. Remember, comb your hair while you take a bite from the apple. Don't forget to look at the mirror towards your shoulder area." Slaine nodded, raised his hands again and looked over his shoulder where...Inaho was suddenly standing over. He looked over his other shoulder only for Inaho to move to that shoulder instead.

 

With a small displeased furrow of his brow, Slaine proceeded to eat the apple and comb his hair, all the while ignoring the other boy who kept blocking the shoulder he was looking over.

 

He closed his eyes, sighed and swallowed his small bite just before-

 

"Slaine-sama"

 

The girls screamed again and thank _god_ he'd swallowed that bite already.

 

Slowly, Slaine glanced over his shoulder and gave the _other_ newcomer a weary smile.

 

"Harklight-san. I'm so sorry. Did we wake you?" The older student shook his head.

 

"I was still studying when I heard your door open and some footsteps. I wondered where you went when I didn't hear anyone come back." Harklight explained before he looked at Inaho with an incredibly sharp look.

 

Strange...Harklight's room was _one floor_ above Slaine's own. However _did_ he hear our footsteps? Slaine thought.

 

"It would be best if you all return to your rooms. It's way past midnight." The girls looked guiltily at the men's dormitory officer and nodded their defeat. They silently shuffled and lined up out the door with Harklight insistently… _persuading_ Inaho to lead the way and Slaine to go down last.

 

Before that-

 

"Slaine-sama" Slaine shook his head having given up trying to prevent the older man from calling him with such an honorific. He smiled and tilted his head.

 

"Yes?"

 

"Did you see anyone over your shoulder?" Harklight inquired with a much too serious face. Slaine paused in his steps and blinked.

 

"Er, that-"

 

"Slaine Troyard"

 

This time Slaine did squeak at the sound of Saazbaum, their headmaster, his _adoptive fathers'_ voice.

 

“I heard… _movement_ around the floor of the first years’ hallway. Your door was unlocked.”

 

"I-I'm sorry headmaster-" Slaine stammered, but Saazbaum waved his hand to silence him.

 

How? Slaine wondered, swallowing a lump in his throat, did the headmaster hear ‘movement in his floor’ when he was pretty sure the faculty houses were _way across campus_?

 

"I will disregard the incident this once, but _do_ stay for a few more minutes. Mister Harklight, you are dismissed." Saazbaum regarded Harklight with a slight nod and the dormitory head left after a bow.

 

Slaine held his breath and looked down until the sound of footsteps faded. Saazbaum shifted seconds after the last echo and Slaine nearly flinched when the man looked down at him.

 

"You should call me 'father' now regardless of what the rest of the student body thinks, Slaine", Saazbaum smiled when Slaine looked up making the tense lines of his shoulders relax. "It's past your bedtime, however. Remember not to be late for tomorrow’s lessons. You being my 'son' wont excuse you from being late. Carry on now." Saazbaum gave a gentle squeeze on Slaine's shoulder and Slaine gave his 'father' one last smile before he turned around to make his way to his dorm room.

 

"By the way..." Saazbaum's voice turned to ice cold steel. "Who _did_ you see over your shoulder in the mirror? Give me a name and I shall give him a…let’s say, ‘a little visit’. Right after I drop by Professor Cruhteo's office and borrow his whip." Saazbaum said with a glint in his eyes that perfectly match the cold of his voice.

 

Slaine didn’t notice.

 

…

 

 _Ah_ , he though.

 

…

 

Slaine had forgotten about that. He really _was_ the only one out of the ‘who’ loop wasn't he? What _was_ it about the ‘who’ that he would see over his shoulder in the mirror anyway?

 

 

_"They say you should eat the apple while holding a candle and looking in the mirror. Then you will see your **future** husband or wife over your shoulder. Others say you should comb your hair while eating the apple and looking in the mirror in order to see your **future** spouse over your shoulder."_

**_The end._ **

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fanfic written for Slaine week, inspired by the future prompt, but better fitted the AU prompt as my dear beta said. But it’s already February and I am only just posting this fic. Oops. XD
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Hope the readers enjoyed it anyway.


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